Pallet for stamping machines



April 1952 H. A. MINTZ PALLET FOR STAMPING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 50, 1947 April 1, 1952 MlNTZ 2,591,369

PALLET FOR STAMPING MACHINES MAE/V704 HENRY A. MIA/7'2.

April 1, 1952 Filed Aug. 30, 1947 H. A. MINTZ PALLET FOR STAMPING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ii i Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to stamping machines, and more particularly to such machines for branding gold letters into the surface of articles made of leather or other material.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a novel, simple and effective arrangement for supporting and centering a line of type on the pallet of sucha machine.

A further object is to devise such an arrangement wherein the centering of said line of type is accomplished automatically without the necessity for the exercise of judgment on the part of the operator.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention will be best understoodfrom the following description of an exemplification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of the novel stamping machine;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the pallet shown in the machine of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of said pallet; and

Fig. 4 is a top view of the base plate of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

The machine illustrated is of the type intended to brand identifying marks on leather articles, and includes a base I upon which are formed bosses 2 between which is rotatably mounted a shaft 3. in correspondingbores in the bosses 2. The shaft 3 carries an arm 5 which has formed thereon a branch arm 6 which carries a pallet 1 rigidly secured thereto. The arm 5 is extended to form a handle 8, whereby the entire arm assembly carrying with it the allet 1 may be rotated about the pins 4. In order to receive the article 9 to be stamped, base I is provided with a pair of spring arms Hl under which the edges of the article to be stamped can he slipped, and thus be held firmly to receive the impression from the type carried by the pallet l. The spring arms HI can be retained by some suitable means, such as screws I I. The base plate I may be provided with screwholes I2, whereby the machine may be secured in place by suitable fastening means, such as screws.

The pallet 1 consists of a type-holding block l3 rigidly secured to the outer end of arm 6. The block I3 is formed with a front face l4 and an upper extension [5 having a lower surface it. Type I! in any desired arrangement may be assembled in the block 13 on surfaces [4 and It. In order to retain the type I! in place, a clamping bar [8 is used to clamp the type onto surface [6.

The shaft 3 is carried by pins 4 received r The opposite ends of the bar l8 are carried by a pair of stiff support wires IS, the back ends of which are rotatably supported in a pair of plates 29 secured by means of screws 2| to the front edge of the extension IE on the block Hi. In this way the bar 18 may be swung away from the face 16 when it is desired to rearrange the type [1. The bar I8 is forced down into clamping engagement with the type H by means of a clamping screw 22 threaded through a plate 23 formed on the front end'of an overhanging arm 24. The arm 24 is formed on the upper portion of the block l3, and is located centrally thereof. The outer end of the screw 22 is formed with a suitable head 25 so that its inner end 26 may be forced down against a flattened portion 21' on the bar I8. It will be noted that the bar [3 has the shape of a prism, preferably square, so as to provide a linear edge 28 which bears against the line of type IT. The resulting line of contact between the type IT and the bar It affords ample clamping against the surface l4, but permits the type to slide in a direction parallel with said line of contact when a moderate amount of pressure inthat direction is exerted upon the type. However, motion of the type in a direction at right angles to said line of contact is considerably more difficult. Thus, when the type I! is assembled on the surfaces l4 and I6 and clamped by the bar [8, the type is effectively held against said surfaces, but motion parallel to said surfaces can be produced to center the type on the block 13.

Centering means for the type I! is provided by a pair of centering blocks 29 mounted to slide along the top and front faces of the block l3 and caused to move simultaneously in opposite directions by means of a lead screw 30 supported by and rotatably mounted in the plates 20. The screw 30 is provided with one thread 32 threaded through the upper end of one block 219 and another thread 33, out in the opposite sense 'to the thread 32, and threaded through the upper end of the other block :29. Oneend of the lead. screw 30 projects beyond one block 20, and is provided with a suitable knob 34 in order to rotate the lead screw. As said knob 34 is rotated, the centering blocks will be moved simultaneously in opposite directions and to the same degree. The device is assembled so that the space between the inner surfaces of the block 29 is always centered on the machine. The type I! is adapted to be clamped between these inner surfaces. Thus when the knob 34 is rotated to move the blocks 29 toward each other, said blocks will clamp the type I! between them, and thus will automatically center the type in the machine.

The arrangement described above affords a particularly simple arrangement for the removal, insertion and centering of type. In order to arrange the type, the operator grasps the handle 8 and rotates the arm 5 carrying with it the pallet 1 so that the bottom of the block I3 faces the operator, presenting the appearance shown substantially in Fig. 3. The knob 34 is rotated to separate the blocks 29 and the clamping screw 22 loosened to permit the bar l8 to swing away from the type II. The previous line of type may be removed and the new type assembled on the faces 14 and I6. Then the head 25 is turned to force the bar [8 down against the line of type. No particular care need be exercised in order to center the type, but usually the bar [8 is not clamped as tightly as it can be to permit the subsequent centering action to occur more freely. Thereupon the knob 34 is rotated to cause the blocks 29 to approach each other. If the type I! is not in the center, one or the other of the blocks 29 will push the line of type to its centered position where both blocks 29 will clamp the line of type and thus close up any spaces which may have been left when the operator placed it in the machine. It will be remembered that all such centering and clamping motion is permitted by the shape and arrangement of the bar 18 which nevertheless effectively prevents any motion of the type away from the surfaces [4 and i6. Thereupon, the head may be given an additional twist to increase the clamping force of the bar I 8 to its final value. When so assembled and centered, the type may be impressed on the work 9.

Before operating on the work in devices of the kind herein involved, it is usually desirable to heat the type to a relatively high temperature in order to secure the proper transfer of the gold leaf, or other printing material, to the article 4 to be stamped. For this purpose the block I3 carries an electrical heating element 35, shown diagrammatically by dotted lines in Fig. 3. In order to support the heating element to produce a maximum of heating efficiency, the block I3 is provided directly to the rear of surface M with a bore 36 extending substantially along the en tire length thereof. The heating element 35 is received within the bore 36 and carries at one end thereof a plug 31, carrying contacts 38, whereby an electrical connection may be made to the heating element 35.

Of course it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular details of the arrangement as described above as many equivalents will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A pallet for a stamping machine comprising a block adapted to support a line of type, said block having an elongated surface upon which the type is to be assembled and a surface extending at right angles from one edge of said elongated surface and upon which the end of said type is to rest, said pallet being open on the two sides facing said surfaces whereby said surfaces are freely accessible for the assembly of said type, an elongated clamping bar having the shape of a prism and having a clamping edge lying along a corner edge of said prism, said clamping edge being adapted to provide a substantially linear contact with the side faces of said line of type, said bar being carried by said pallet substantially parallel to both of said surfaces by means of a supporting rod pivoted to said block at each end thereof, the free ends of said rods being rigidly fastened to said clamping bar at the opposite ends thereof, said bar being movable relative to said pallet toward and away from said first-named surface, and means for forcing the clamping edge of saidclamping bar into clampingengagement with the side faces of said type lying parallel with said first-named surfaces. 2. A pallet for a stamping machine comprising a block adapted to support a line of type, said block having an elongated surface upon which the type is to be assembled and a surface extending at right angles from one edge of said elongated surface and upon which the end of said type is to rest, said pallet being open on the two sides facing said surfaces whereby said surfaces are freely accessible for the assembly of said type, an elongated clamping bar having a clamping edge, said clamping edge being adapted to provide a substantially linear contact with the side faces of said line of type, said bar being carried by said pallet substantially parallel to both of said surfaces by means of a supporting rod pivoted to said block at each end thereof, the free ends of said rods being rigidly fastened to said clamping bar at the opposite ends thereof, said bar being movable relative to said pallet toward and away from said first-named surface, and means for forcing the clamping edge of said clamping bar into clamping engagement with the side faces of said type lying parallel with said first-named surfaces.

- HENRY A. MINTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Date Li... a. 

